Visitor Engagement Programme Manager - St Paul's Cathedral

Overview

We are looking to recruit a Visitor Engagement Programme Manager - someone who is passionate about attracting new and existing visitors by building partner relationships to organise an exciting and commercially sustainable programme of visitor exhibitions, activities and events aimed at a wide range of audiences.

Reporting to the Head of Visitor Operations, you will lead on planning our activities for the Wren 300 celebrations in 2023, as well assisting with the development of future exhibition themes and programming activity for 2024, based on evaluation findings.

Introduction

The purpose of this role is to engage new and existing visitors from across the world by bringing the stories and hidden histories of St Paul’s Cathedral to life by working in partnership with internal and external stakeholders to develop, organise, deliver and evaluate an exciting and commercially sustainable programme of visitor exhibitions, activity and events at the Cathedral - aimed at a wide range of audiences - including families, subject specialists and independent adults.

For the purposes of this 12-month contract, this will specifically involve developing the activities for the Wren 300 celebrations in 2023.

Main Responsibilities

• Coordinate the development and delivery of Wren 300 activities launching in 2023, consisting of a temporary exhibition and visitor events programme.
• Undertake the secretariat of the Wren 300 Project Board.
• Plan and deliver the Summer Lates programme.
• Coordinate the development and delivery of the Cathedral’s visitor events programme in 2023 including idea and content development, partnership working (both internally and externally), activity planning and management, and evaluation.
• Undertake ongoing end of project evaluation / feedback of exhibitions, activities and related activity.  Collect and collate feedback data and regularly report on key findings to internal stakeholders and ensure these are used to shape paying visitor-facing activities across the Cathedral, and ensuring that all activities fit with the Cathedral’s Mission Directed Business Plan.
• Make recommendations, based on evaluation findings, for future exhibition themes and programming activity for 2024.
• Establish and lead multi-disciplinary working groups across St Paul’s, working collaboratively with internal experts and stakeholders to produce innovative, popular, appropriate and accessible visitor events, working particularly closely with the:    
  • Learning team to develop events and activities, including workshops and storytelling;
  • Collections team to develop themes and content for the temporary exhibitions and events for specialist audiences such as behind-the-scenes tours, curator / archivist talks, open days and workshops;
  • Head of Visitor Operations to run day-time added value activities such as gallery tours and talks, as well as special events such as Summer Lates;
  • Development team to support the development of funding bids to external bodies and to develop events and / or offers for Cathedral Friends and Patrons and high end offers for major donors and sponsors;
  • Communications and Digital Managers to develop and implement targeted press and marketing plans to actively promote visitor events;
  • Events, Works, IT, Sales & Ticketing teams to support the delivery of events, where relevant;
  • Director of Visitor Engagement and Chancellor to ensure all visitor exhibitions and events are entertaining, inclusive, accessible, and sensitive to our standing as the nation’s church;
  • Health & Safety Policy Officer and others to ensure all visitor events comply with health and safety legislation and best practice, including the production of risk assessments and method statements.
• Suggest and trial innovative and creative approaches to visitor programming, while ensuring content is appropriate given the nature of the work of St Paul’s and our daily operations.
• Establish new creative collaborations and partnerships with external organisations and individuals, such as artists, historians, event organisers, museums, galleries, etc.
• Ensure opportunities for income generation are maximised whilst resources and costs are managed efficiently within a small budget.

The Ideal Candidate

• Knowledge and understanding of best practice in audience development and engagement.
• Able to demonstrate a track record of success in delivering visitor led experiences and visitor programming within a complex, cultural, commercial, heritage or visitor attraction setting, and an understanding of the unique challenges this will brings within a working Church.
• Ability to devise, design and produce a range of visitor programming experiences and partnerships based on research, data and trends.
• Proven organisational and project management skills.
• Able to work under pressure, prioritising to meet deadlines.

• Excellent interpersonal, team working and stakeholder management skills - ability to build strong and effective working relationships internally and externally at all levels.

• Experience of working with a variety of audience groups.
• Clear and confident written and verbal communication and presentations skills.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills.
• Ability to think creatively and analytically.
• Flexible, positive and entrepreneurial attitude, with ability to work on own initiative.
• Experience of budget planning / management.
• Project management experience of small and large-scale exhibitions and events from inception to delivery.
• Experience of managing consultants, contractors and volunteers.
• Experience of marketing and promotion of exhibitions and events.

The individual will be in sympathy with, and in their work support, the Christian aims and mission of St Paul’s Cathedral.

About us

St Paul’s is an equal opportunities employer and holds together a very diverse set of activities and aspirations. It is the Cathedral of the Diocese of London and the seat of its Bishop, a national church and an international spiritual focus, a space for worship and holiness, a place of learning, debate and challenge, an icon of resilience in the face of adversity, an architectural heritage centre, a partner in the City of London, and a commercial enterprise. In addition to offering acts of worship throughout the day, St Paul’s is open for prayer and sight-seeing seven days a week.